Frozen
by Iris-Phoenix
Summary: Rated for blood and death, and a few dark themes. I blame reading too much Poe. Summary: Immortality is not a gift. It is a curse. Roxis finds this out quickly. Vayne feels the heavy load of guilt for the curse


Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Mana Khemia! The story on the other hand is mine.

REVISED!! I should get a beta reader for my stuff…

Frozen

"Now I wouldn't do that…" Vayne's other half said, as he heard his wish to be rid of the power to grant wishes. Vayne looked over to him in confusion, as did the others of the group.

"And just why shouldn't he?" Flay asked, in his normal booming voice. The other Vayne, or Vain just laughed at the question.

"Just thought I'd point out something, I mean aside from the power going out of control, who knows what would happen to what his power fixed." Roxis drew a sharp breath at that. Did he mean…that if that power went awry he would die? Along with Sulpher and the Huffin tree?

"Wh-what do you mean by that!?" he demanded, frightened. He heard Anna growl, and saw Vayne narrow his eyes in a rare showing of anger. Even Flay had stopped grinning, while Nikki was hissing like the beast-person she was.

"Oh, no, no, no…I did not mean it _that_ way. I was simply saying that who knows how you would survive? After all he wasn't terribly specific about what he was saving you from… Never got specifics beyond that." Vain responded to their hostility quite admirably, all things considered.

"Oh? And what does that have to do with what you said then?" Anna asked, gripping her sword tighter. What could he have meant by survive? What was he not telling them?

"Come on now. Surely one of you knows what I mean by that." Was he…mocking them? Yes, he was. That smug grin was back and it infuriated them as a whole.

"When you say he was saved…what do you mean he was saved from?" Jess asked, finally sorting through most of what was said.

"Think about it pinky. He wanted to save him, he didn't want him to die…I think I may have 'messed up' somewhere in there." Vain grinned, making sure they knew that he held no remorse for what he had just done, and had not 'messed up' at all. It was planned.

"Y-you mean…" she stammered, clutching her bag. That was…it was…it was just horrible.

"Roxis…he…you…they…not possible!" Nikki was incoherent in her rage and confusion. There was no way, nothing that could do that to a person. It just wasn't done!

"Roxis-senpai…are you….okay?" Anna asked, turning her head to the upper-classman, who looked whiter than normal. Possibly from shock.

"…" it was shock, as he made a small noise that sounded like a half-choked gasp. It was all he could manage in response to Anna's question.

"Well now…" Flay said, one hand rubbing his chin thoughtfully. While he did feel sorry for Roxis, it was an interesting thought…though he hoped it was wrong for the blond's sake.

"Oooh~ This is interesting." Pamala had the same idea, but was more excited about having a new friend, even if the person was still alive.

"Death cannot touch him now." Vain said, a wicked grin taking the place of his small smirk. At that statement Roxis crumpled, fainting dead away.

"ROXIS!!" Vayne yelled, catching the blond before he hit the ground, "Roxis…I'm so sorry…" he couldn't wish to be human now…not if that meant he would die, while Roxis would not. It was his fault, all his fault…how could he have been so foolish?

"Looks like you made up your mind finally." Vain said, as Vayne held Roxis to his chest. He wasn't going to cry. Not when he had to be the strong one…

"That was under-handed." He growled instead. He grit his teeth to the point where he was sure his molars would crack. How could this have happened? Power going out of control? Hah! It already was, he had no control over it to start with.

"It was the truth." Vain stated, even as he watched the gears turning in the minds of the group before him.

"You planned this!" Flay growled, as it dawned on him and the rest of the group just how easily things had been manipulated. How easily they had been manipulated.

"Of course." Vain said, with a shrug of his shoulders. This only further angered Flay, who was angrier than ever. No one made a fool of The Flay!

"Coward!" he yelled, balling both fists tightly. An echoing cry came from Anna and Nikki, both women looking ready to kill.

"I am still part of Vayne." The thing reminded them. It only got growls in response. Even Pamala looked angry at the affront to her intelligence. It should have felt proud then; it was truly a feat to have managed to annoy everyone at once.

"Shut up." Vayne growled, finally looking up to his other half. It only smirked back.

"Well?" it asked, and after a long silence, Vayne sighed.

"Make this place go away." he commanded, and the Other only grinned, before giving a very exaggerated bow in Vayne's direction. When it straightened up its infuriating smirk was still in place.

"Fine. But you had better get out first." It commented, even as Vayne and the others prepared to do so, shooting it a few angry glares as they left.

A short while later – compared to getting in mind – and they were outside of the place, with a few teachers and students watching them, even as the place crumbled and vanished behind them. But there was no sign of The Mana that had caused it. Only his cat, and his workshop mates were there.

What they didn't notice was that there was a kitten tucked into the pocket of a still unconscious Roxis' jacket, as the blond was slung over Flay's shoulder.

They were too busy wondering why they all looked so…defeated.

breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak

"Well…graduation is here…are you sure you're okay Roxis?" Vayne asked, from his perch from Roxis' bed. Ever since that stunt Vayne had taken residence up in Roxis' room, taking the form of a kitten more often than not. Sulpher had followed him into said room, making it quite crowded. One grown cat, and two kittens, plus one human – two at other times – would do that to a room.

But that wasn't the current issue.

"I said I'm fine!" Roxis snapped, irritated with the way Vayne, ever since finding out what his wish had done to him, continued to follow him around, and ask if he was okay every time he looked even the slightest bit disappointed.

In anything.

Constantly.

He knew it was out of guilt, and pity, but that was something Roxis was not going to accept. He did not need pity!

"…sorry." And the second step to the cycle began…Vayne would only apologize when Roxis snapped at him. He never snapped back, and the Mana of Light had stopped telling him to be nicer…in fact it had not been after him the same way since that day as well…none of them had.

It hurt more than they would know. They were already distancing themselves from him…sure it was to make it easier on him when they died, and he continued on to see their great-great-grandchildren buried, but that did not stop it from hurting. It was like he was the one who had died…in a way he had…

"Stop that. It's annoying." He didn't know if he was telling Vayne that…or himself.

breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak

He just could not get into the festivities of graduation. Not a bit. Not with Flay, Nikki, Jess, and even Anna, looking at him like that…the looks he was not supposed to see, the way they tried to 'cheer him up' with false bright smiles, half-hearted jokes, and forced laughter.

It was making him sick.

He wanted to scream at them, tell them they were making it worse, that they were still alive, that he was still alive, they were still the same. Nothing was wrong, nothing had changed, he was still himself – only his time on earth had been increased dramatically. That was the only thing that had changed, what could they not understand? Was it that hard? He was still human, and still had emotions, and the one at the forefront now was hurtsadnessconfusionANGER! Anger at them for continually acting like that…Anger was a wonderful and welcomed default emotion.

…it was anger that kept him from crying.

breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak

"Hey guys…thanks for trying so hard." Jess was dying…had been since Vayne's 'father' had accidentally stripped her of years of her life. She looked so pale…almost the color of her sheets.

"You're our friend. And you stuck by us. Least we could do." Vayne said, as he gave her the potion. He hoped this one worked…prayed that it worked.

She was stubborn, and didn't want him to wish it away, but chose to fight it head-on herself. But she was losing. Had been from the start.

A losing battle but she continued to smile and throw her punches into the face of Death.

"Roxis? Are you crying?" she asked, after downing the entire vial. Roxis shook his head.

"…no." he muttered, wiping furiously at his eyes. How…how embarrassing. She continued to smile while he was the one to cry…Vayne looked pained as he looked between them, wondering what had happened.

"Mnhmn…I'm sleepy…goodnight you two." She muttered, before leaning back against her pillows, and closed her eyes. Soon her constant fidgeting stilled in sleep, along with the rest of her.

"Good night…Jess." Roxis wiped his glasses, wondering why even after that his vision remained blurry. It was only after he saw water drops fall at his feet than did he realize that they were tears, and he was sobbing.

"Gu-gue…guess we h-had better tell. We tried…" Vayne was crying too hard to do much more than nod.

After the funeral they sat by her grave, and decorated it with flowers. To show she had friends. That people did remember her, and would remember her. Her Mana was long gone, something the Mana of Light snorted at, even as it sniffed the flowers, and rubbed against Roxis' leg for a pat on the head. Roxis needed the comfort more than it, as Vayne was only staring blankly at the slab of stone that bore Jessica's name. Then again Roxis was only mindlessly stroking the Mana of Light's head, his mind off on the same topic that occupied Vayne's thoughts.

This was only the first.

breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak

Years past like days, and Roxis had to start wearing makeup. Not the cosmetics for women, rather it was the cosmetics that were used to simulate fine wrinkles, graying hair, and the general break-down of the body.

Because his body wasn't breaking down.

Rather it had regressed slightly, healed itself back to the prime. Many would have loved that…but 'many' were fools who did not know what immortality entailed. What such thing came from never growing old, to be 'eternally young' to remain forever in the body of an eighteen-year-old.

He hated it.

Every day he wished that it had never happened, sometimes so violently that Vayne flinched. He apologized to Vayne, afterwards. Never in words, but the words were there.

And Vayne knew how to pick that out by now and would forgive him.

Always.

But he never wished for death. How could he?

breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak

"Flay! What on earth are you doing?! You incorrigible moron, I demand and explanation!" Roxis screamed, as his twisted in his bonds. He was not pleased by the current turn of events, not at all.

"MWAHAHAHA!!! Vayne! I challenge you to a duel! The winner gets the prize!" Flay ignore him, for at that moment Vayne came racing into the field, panting, and looking slightly worse for wear. Possibly because he had to fight his way through Flay's base to get to said field…

"I am not a 'prize' to be handed out! Untie me this instant!" once again Roxis raised his voice in anger, and once again was ignored. It was irritating him.

"Uh…Flay? Was tying Roxis to a tree…in a dress…necessary?" Flay's flair had not worn down at all over the years. Rather it had only gotten worse…he was having his final bit of fun with them, before he went off to teach at the Academy, something that both Vayne and Roxis shuddered at. Of course they had agreed (read: been dragged into) Flay's plot for his final bit of fun. Though neither of the expected Flay to pull something like this…

"Of course! The damsel in distress never wears pants!" said person (read: madman) boomed, causing the other two to wince in pain and embarrassment.

"WHAT!?...please tell me someone else changed my clothing…" Roxis groaned, after he had glanced down to see that, yes, he was indeed in a princess-style dress, and even his hair-tie was missing for some odd reason…

"Nope! I didn't want you waking up and taking out my subordinates!" At least Flay had been cautious…though that did not help with Roxis' humiliation.

"Dear gods…tell me this is a nightmare." The blond moaned, his head hanging. It didn't help his mood any when he heard the Mana of Light laughing its furred tail off.

"Anyway! Come! Vayne, fight for the one you love!" Flay shouted, making Roxis snap his head up, and glare at the red-head. He was going to kill the man once he was free…

"…Flay…" Vayne sighed, wondering what Flay was playing at. Roxis on the other hand did not care. All he knew was that high-heels hurt the ankles, when left standing in them for more than ten seconds.

"Forget what he said and get me out of this!" he snapped, spurring Vayne into action. Flay smiled and charged Vayne in turn.

When all was done Flay was left on his back, panting.

"A good fight! You have improved!" he laughed, as he sat up, "but I would expect nothing less from my rival! Nothing less! Well now, I must be going, I'll see the both of you later!" and with that he was gone, off to train students in the Academy.

"He hasn't changed at all" was all Roxis could grumble as Vayne untied him. Vayne silently agreed.

The next time they saw him was on his death-bed.

"Heh…never figured I'd go out like this…" he laughed, even as it turned into a wince as he grabbed his stomach.

His heavily injured stomach.

The pain must have been unbearable, but he had dragged himself back to the village, a small child in one arm, the other wrapped around his stomach to hold everything in. He had been part of a search party for the child, as she had wandered off into a forest before it had been cleared of monsters.

Specifically the stronger ones.

Ones that took a team of three – preferably more – strong warriors to take down.

He took it down by himself.

"Stop talking…you are making it worse damnit." Roxis swore, as Vayne tried to clean the wound so he could stitch it up.

"Now, now…no swearing in front of the children…" Flay admonished, but it was beginning to lack the usual 'oomph!' that was Flay.

That scared them.

"Flay! Open your eyes! Do NOT go to sleep!" Roxis snapped, looking up from the cauldron, as he tried to think of a way to make something to help keep Flay alive long enough to give him the Heal-Jar that they had sent the other child – young teen actually – out to get. Well, the materials anyways. There were no alchemists in the village, so even one like Flay had been welcomed.

"Eh? Oh, I was drifting?" Flay asked, as he opened his eyes.

"Yes…please, Flay, listen to Roxis! You lost too much blood to sleep!" Vayne yelped, as he saw Flay nodding off again.

"Damnit! Where is that boy, we need those materials now!" Roxis swore again, followed by a few more vehement curses. He was not angry, no his agitation was born from worry. Worry of what was going to happen if that teen did not get back in time.

"I-I could…" Vayne began to offer, but with a shake of his head Flay declined. He knew that if the teen got back to see him already healed, after being told that nothing there could be synthesized into a healing item, rumors would spread, and soon Vayne and Roxis would be in trouble.

Rumors tended to spread quite far. Especially dangerous ones like that.

"No…too risky…" Flay said, shaking his head again for added emphasis. Roxis and Vayne were looking at him oddly, both wondering if he wanted to die – but Vayne knew that was not the case. There was no wish for death, just resignation.

"Flay? B-but…" Vayne tried again, but Flay let out an uncharacteristic growl, and shook his head again, even as the world spun when he did so.

"Too. Risky." He emphasized both words now, glaring hard at both Alchemist and Mana, trying to get his point across. He still remembered what had happened at the Academy, what had happened when it was revealed what Vayne was. He did not want a repeat of that.

Even if it meant his death.

He was known as the Defender of Justice, and he would go out as such. Vayne would carry the title well, as would Roxis. With those two he knew justice would survive, so he would protect them while he could – however he could.

"And this is coming from you." Roxis sighed, not meeting Flay's eyes. Flay responded with a sharp nod of his head. But the teen still had not shown up… Roxis sighed again, even as he began looking out the window, hoping the young teen remembered to hurry.

The teen didn't.

"Don't go to sleep…just hang on…" Vayne muttered.

Flay didn't.

Flay…that idiot. He was a hero. To the villagers, to the Academy, to…to them. Everyone.

A hero's death…was to go out fighting. That was what heroes were destined for.

Flay was a hero, and died a hero's death.

His funeral was somber, dark and rainy. It was almost as if the heavens were crying along with the village.

For their beloved Hero.

They had known that he also played the villain, but brushed it aside as had he.

He had only ever played villain to Vayne, only to test how strong his sense of justice was. Only then was he made into a villain, only by the stronger justice and compassion from the silver-haired boy. The boy and his blond companion, seated in the front row, crying over the loss just as hard as anyone from the village.

If only they knew what the other had lost that day.

When the rain stopped, and the skies cleared, there was no rainbow for them. There was no promise that it was not to happen again, no reassurance of anything better to come.

They left that village, even as the river they crossed swelled over its banks, filled with cold water, deep and black. The ferryman was dressed in a black cloak of mourning, but he looked like Death.

If only he was.

breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak

More time passed, Roxis had stopped keeping track. He had stopped caring. The only thing he knew was that he had to keep re-applying that mask of cosmetics, so he looked the proper age. By now he did not need a mirror to do so. That was a good thing. He hated mirrors, of any kind. Even the reflective surface of still water or his own glasses annoyed him.

He purposely threw rocks into still ponds to break up his image, and only wore his glasses because he was blind without them.

And Vayne insisted that walking into things was not healthy. Not that Roxis cared, but when Vayne pleaded with him he had too. He didn't want to make Vayne feel worse than he already did.

Sulpher was still around, talking to them about the current gossip, just in-case they needed to pack up and move again because Roxis' mask had not been as flawless as he had hoped. This struck them as odd – odd that Sulpher was still alive. The kitten Roxis had kept from the Academy had aged and died, but Sulpher…

They did not need to hear the laughter of Vain to know what had happened to the cat.

breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak

"N-Nikki? Wow…your hair got long…" Vayne admired. Nikki smiled toothily at them. They were at a reunion of sorts, one that had been set up by some of the other classmates who had wanted to see how everyone was doing – and who was still alive. They had heard about a few deaths beside Flay's and Jess' so many wanted to check on old friends.

"Aw…so you did notice! Cool! Oh, hey Sulpher!" and with that she picked up the black cat, making cooing noises, much to Sulpher's disapproval.

/Put me down, kitten. This is not amusing/ he grumbled, but all Nikki heard was a meow. An agitated meow, but only a meow.

"Uh…What?" she asked, looking to Vayne, who looked like he was stuck between telling her, and laughing.

"He wants to be put down." Roxis said, not noticing the fact that he could understand a cat, he had been able to do so for a time, so it was not unusual for him.

"Wow! How did you know that?" Nikki asked, getting into his face, after putting Sulpher down like he asked.

"He said so." The blond replied, leaning back a bit. He liked his personal space, and Nikki had invaded it.

"…since when do you understand him?" she asked, and Roxis stared at her for a second.

"Er…" he replied, as his brain tried to think of when that had happened. But before he could answer Nikki had jumped onto another topic, much in the way that a cat would pounce on a mouse.

"And completely off topic, but I thought that…well…" she asked, but trailed off as she realized how awkward the question was liable to be.

"I wasn't supposed to age?" Roxis finished for her, and she nodded slowly. Vayne flinched beside Roxis, who only glanced at him. Even after all these years they boy still felt the twinge of guilt for what his one wish had done.

"Ah…yeah…" she muttered. She didn't miss the flinch and guilty look either, and knew how he must have felt.

"Makeup." Was Roxis' short, and curt, reply.

"Eh? But it doesn't look like makeup…" she questioned, and Roxis only sighed, before taking out a clean hand-cloth, from a pocket hidden under his cloak.

"It is. Watch." He replied, as he soaked the cloth, wrung it out, and then used it to wipe off his face. When he knew that his face was clear, he replaced his glasses, handed her the cloth, and looked down at her.

"Oh…You use it to make yourself look older…I-I'm sorry from bringing it up…" she winced, looking from Roxis' un-aged face and the makeup covered cloth.

"Now I have to fix this…" he grumbled, as he rummaged around for the cosmetics he used for his mask. It was then that Nikki remembered something, something important.

"Y-yeah…Some people who knew your face are here too, so you'd better hurry!" she squeaked, as she began to glance around nervously. Vayne and Roxis almost fell over in shock.

"Wh-what!?" Roxis demanded, keeping his voice low, in an effort to not attract attention to their corner of the field.

"Sorry! I, uh…I forgot until now! I didn't mean to!" it is to be noted that Nikki had the perfect voice for singing. It carried very well. In this situation it carried all too well, and attracted the attention of her current husband.

"Nikki, love, what is…Roxis?" he asked, as he wandered over to her, to see Nikki holding a makeup smeared cloth, and an ageless, Roxis.

He gapped like a fish.

"We can explain…" the blond began, looking frantic. Vayne had hidden again, in Roxis' pocket as the gray kitten. He knew he should not be seen. Not when this was a salvageable situation. He would only make it that much harder to fix it.

"You…you didn't…you look…You haven't aged since graduation!" the man stammered, before ending in a shout. Nikki, and Roxis winced, as did Vayne from where he was hiding.

"Wait! Please! H-hey!" Roxis let out a startled gasp, as the man seized his wrist in a strong grip, and began dragging him towards the large group of people.

"Honey, don't! Stop!" Nikki yelled, as she followed after them, trying to make the beast-man let go of Roxis, but his grip was stronger than she could manage.

"Guys! Look!" the man called, as he approached. Roxis felt his insides twist in fear as some of the people on the outskirts of the crowd turned to look, gape, nudge their neighbors and point.

"Let me go!" he cried, as he tried to twist free. It wasn't working.

"Let him go!" it was Vayne. That idiot had decided to try and help…

"It's that Mana! It's here to!" someone in the crowd called, and Roxis groaned.

"Vayne! His name is Vayne! Now let go of Roxis!" Nikki demanded, as she gave up on force, and resorted to The Wrath of the Wife. He husband only spared her a glance.

"Don't you see? He has not aged at all! Same height, hair length, and not a wrinkle on him!" he said, his voice carrying well enough to be heard by most everyone, as most everyone was listening now.

"M-makeup! And maybe he finished growing and likes his hair that length!" Nikki squawked in Roxis' defense, as he had his lips pursed into a fine line as he continued to try and break free.

"Makeup? Really? Then what is with the dirty cloth? Smells like makeup on it." The man asked, pointing at the cloth still clutched in her hand. She glanced down at it, then back up to him, unsure of what to say in response. Vayne also stood to the side, as he felt some hostile glares coming from a few people, wondered what they could say.

"Uh…It is not his?" she muttered, ingenuity lost as her mind locked up on her.

"Prove it. Take the 'makeup' off him." Her husband challenged. She only stared at him.

"Er..." once again she could not come up with an adequate response. Her husband then drew out another clean cloth, and then he wiped the cloth roughly across Roxis' face.

"Ah!" he flinched, and let out a pained cry at the rough treatment, before glaring at the man who still prevented him from running, from escaping.

"S-stop!" his friends both yelled, as the man examined the side of the cloth he used on Roxis and then showed it to the crowd. There were murmurs of disbelief and shock running through the crowd now that there was solid proof.

The cloth was still clean.

"Not makeup then…so…" the man trailed off, and Roxis swallowed nervously. He was sure the pounding of his heart was audible now, as he stared at the crowd gathered in front of him. Cold fear gripped him and he knew, without asking, that it had also grabbed hold of his friends.

"Let…Let us go…please. Please!" he pleaded, as the murmurs became louder, and a few people in the crowd looked angry. Some looked downright furious. Thoughts such as 'It wasn't fair that he was 'gifted' with such a thing' 'He's not normal, and never was.' 'Nothing good comes from that Mana' and 'They do not fit. They have to be removed' were seen clearly, even if they were phrased far prettier, it all boiled down to those simple thoughts. And Roxis was afraid.

"They have not hurt anyone! Back off!" the beastgirl shouted, her tail twitching in anger, as she prepared to attack.

"Let go of him, and we'll leave, and never bother you again." Vayne begged, as he tried to persuade the man into letting Roxis free so they could leave unharmed.

Their pleas landed on ears deafened by anger, resentment and jealousy.

"I'm sorry!" Nikki apologized, before letting out a battle cry, and landing a solid upper-cut to her husband's gut. His grip loosened enough for Roxis to break free and run.

And run he did, even as Nikki and Vayne caught up with him.

But he did not slow down.

"I'm so sorry about this…I…I didn't know, didn't want for this to happen…" Nikki apologized again, as they came to the crossroads. She was going back to her old home, Roxis and Vayne were going to have to look for a new one. By now rumors had inevitably spread everywhere, so it was going to be hard.

And she knew it was partially her fault – if not all.

Not that they were going to say that when she looked so close to tears already. They were not mad at her, it was an honest mistake, born from curiosity. They could not blame her for the misfortune that had been upon them for years.

"This…is goodbye then…I don't think we'll see you again." Vanye said, looking down. It just was not going to be possible for them to travel now, not for a long time…

And they knew it was true.

breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak

Years…ten long years since the 'reunion' that ended in a mob. All that anger, hatred, and jealousy…all directed at him. Was that how Vayne felt? Was that how he felt all those years ago when they first met? Was it? Or was it less? More?

It was irrational to think about it now…but he couldn't stop. It was all he could do from going insane. Ten years stuck in a house, the only companions being Vayne and Sulpher and the Mana of Light. They had name the Mana of Light 'Hikari' in their boredom one day, and Hikari liked the name. Said it was fun to have something to define itself with. Who knew a name was so powerful a thing? Maybe that was why most Mana were never named, it gave them power over themselves. Funny wasn't it?

And speaking of Mana…Vayne had asked, only once, why Roxis did not vocalize his wish for death. The reply had been simple, his honor. He felt that doing so would accumulate to suicide, and he was not going to drop to that level. When all was said and done he still clung to his honor. It was all he really had left.

Anna had found them, and visited daily with food. She was careful that no one followed her, even her own family did not know where she spent her afternoons. They would talk, and chatter about things going on, and she would inform them of the newest technology, and advances in the world, while Sulpher would tell them about the newest rumors. Gossip hound that he was, he never missed one change. Not many were important, but many were funny.

This came to an end when Anna began to show her age.

breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak

"Senpai, I'm sorry about not showing up yesterday, and I hope you did not go hungry." She apologized, as she took her shoes off at the door. Vayne looked over, from the table, with a smile.

"It's fine Anna, we bought food. The rumors have died down enough." He greeted her. She nodded, and sat down, dropping her customary bag of food for that day and next breakfast on the table.

"Good. I was hoping for that." She replied, as she made herself at home, something that never ceased to make Vayne smile.

"Oh? Really, what did you do?" Roxis asked, as he sat down at the table as well. The way she had said that last comment made him worry about what she had done.

"Nothing too harsh Roxis-senpai. They just have better things to do with their time now." She responded, even as Vayne and Roxis shared a look. Her definition of 'harsh' was leagues away from their definition.

"As do you. You are head of a household now." Roxis finally commented, deciding a change of topic was in order.

"Yes. But that is no reason to leave friends in dire straits. Honestly, I would think you would think better of me." Anna acknowledged the change in topic, and canted her head to one side as she spoke, sounding a bit offended. It is to be noted that it was best not to offend Anna.

"We do, we do. We just worry, that's all." Vayne quickly intervened, before she could take anything the wrong way. She had yet to grow out of that – but they supposed it was just part of her.

"Mn…well your worry is unfounded. I simply finish all my work before coming here, and what I don't finish can be done when I return home." She replied, matter-of-factly. Roxis chuckled at her words and tone.

"Efficient as always Anna." He said, and she grinned.

"Of course." She responded, making Vayne laugh. There was a few moments of silence, and he dug through the bags to see what she had brought this time. Her cooking was very good, and he enjoyed it more than the store bought food.

"But…" Roxis finally broke the silence, as he set out three plates, one for each of them.

"But what?" Anna asked, wondering what could have made him trail off without finishing his comment.

"You have been showing up less and less. Don't push yourself too hard." He finished, sighing a bit at the end.

"…I am not weak. I just become busy." she defended herself, snapping slightly as her imagination began to spin out of control.

"Anna…" Vayne cut in, before she could become too angry.

"…fine. I admit it is becoming harder to do certain things. But not impossible!" she snapped, making both toss their hands up in a signal of defeat, or surrender.

"We never said that!" Vayne yelped, fearing the worst. It was Anna, anything could happen…though that was the problem.

"Well then...sorry for thinking that." She calmed down as soon as she noticed the distressed expressions both of them wore. She missed the soft sighs of relief that they let out though.

"It's fine. Anyway, what's new?" he asked, and Anna began talking about new advances.

"It's been a week. Is she okay?" Vayne worried. Anna never missed more than a day or two, three at most. Seven was unheard of. Completely and totally unheard of.

"Hmn…Maybe she just fell ill." The blond replied, looking up from his book. Hikari took the opportunity to snatch it so it could read. Roxis only sighed and let the Mana walk off with the book. It had become quite restless over the years…then again most Mana and monsters were weakening…which was why Roxis was reading. He wanted to know why Hikari was still as strong as ever.

"But…if she became ill in her state…" Vayne muttered, breaking Roxis' train of thought. He shook his head, but he took that as Roxis telling him to be quiet, so he trailed off.

"Vayne, I'm sure she's fine. She probably scared Death into letting her die on her own time." he chuckled, as soon as he noticed the silence. Vayne smiled back, as he thought of Anna's personality.

"Heh, that is Anna." He said, acknowledging their friend's frightening personality.

A meow at the door told them that Sulpher wanted in, and he was the one to open the door. And then wandered over to the kitchen area to make food, as he swore he heard something growl. And it wasn't Hikari.

" Sulpher's back." He said, as he closed the door behind the large cat. Sulpher, for his part, found a cushy pillow and folded himself into a neat little loaf, before looking at the two teens.

"What did you hear, Sulpher?" Roxis asked, and could have sworn Sulpher sighed at the question.

/…you are not going to like this…/ he began, and Vayne canted his head to one side in confusion.

"What? Why?" he asked, wondering what news would make Sulpher so reluctant to say it…had the rumor unearthed itself again? He hoped not. He really did not want to move after they had gotten so comfortable.

"Did something happen?" the alchemist asked, glancing at Vayne who was lost in his own speculations.

/Something always does/ the cat replied, making Roxis arch a brow at this.

"Sulpher…" Vayne sighed, a plea for his cat to stop beating around the bush and just tell them what he had heard. Sulpher sighed.

/I'm sorry…but I found out that Anna died, in her sleep. The funeral is tomorrow/ the sound of breaking pottery echoed in their ears as it mimicked the sound of their hearts shattering.

"Everyone is gone…" Vayne muttered. He could have saved them, could have kept them from dying. But…they had to die, it was natural to do so. And he didn't think he could stand to see another one of his friends slowly die on the inside like Roxis. Watching, hearing, and _knowing_ that it was killing him to be so cut off from Time. Yes, Roxis had developed his skills quite well…but only because training provided a distraction. He looked over to the Alchemist in worry when he received no reply.

"…" he was staring straight ahead, his face blank. Even his eyes seemed empty…

"Roxis?" Vayne questioned, frightened by how hollow his friend looked. It was echoed in his mind, as he could normally hear wishes of some type coming from the teen, but ever since the funeral Roxis' mind had been blank. Like a layer of fresh snow. Even though under that snow there was a pond not completely frozen over, cracked, and waiting for someone to step out onto it in their foolishness. Vayne could tell there was turmoil, the waters deep and black, and cold enough to kill.

He hoped Roxis had not stepped out onto that pond yet.

"I'm fine." He was everything but 'fine' as 'fine' had been left somewhere back at Flay's funeral, and 'hope' had just been buried with Anna.

"Roxis…" he knew this. He felt it. Wanted to wish it all gone, but was afraid to wish for anything. He did not want to make another mistake, did not want to put any more weight on their already sagging shoulders.

"Let's get going…we've been here too long already." Roxis, efficient as Anna had been, had already packed what they could take with them, and was looking at Vayne, waiting for him to do his share.

"Okay…I'll miss them too…" he knew why he wanted to leave. This house would only be a reminder of what they had lost. Lost what little they had left. It was not nice, but he had to say it, that he knew why he was in such a rush to leave. Had to tell him he was not alone in his misery.

"…quiet you…" Roxis sounded a little more like his old self. Back when words such as 'hope' were not used synonymously with 'delusion'.

breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak

It hurt…hurt so much to see him go through such times. Vayne hated himself, hated Vain for doing such a thing, hated how easy it was to hate…but most of all he hated what was happening to Roxis. What had happened to Roxis…

When Vain said Death could no longer touch him, he had meant it.

They found this out when they had been traveling to see if they could find a place to stay, somewhere that needed an Alchemist, or if that failed, a place where they could build a place to stay. Places like that were getting hard to find…Anyway they were attacked by bandits, who saw them as easy prey. Vayne had reacted first, but not fast enough to prevent one of the bandits from driving a short sword through Roxis' heart.

The blond had fallen, and Vayne had charged the guy. But before the man could decide to continue the attack, Roxis had sat back up, even with the gaping hole where his heart should have been. Both men had fled at that, screaming something about a 'demon' leaving the would-be-victims staring after them.

Vayne had never felt so guilty in his life when all Roxis did was stand up, and ask to have the hole fixed because it stung.

Murderer. That was what he was. Not in the sense of killing the body, but killing a spirit. Vayne had killed Roxis' spirit in exchange for bringing his body back to life. That was all it amounted to. Not instantaneously, oh no…the death of his spirit was long and drawn out over decades, dying inch by inch with every funeral of a friend. With every reminder of what had been, what _should_ have been. With every reminder of how cut off from Time he was. Vayne had heard the whispered wish for death when Roxis had seen the sword plunge into his chest. Seen the despair when the man had fled with the scream of 'demon' and found himself still alive. Seen how Hikari had nuzzled closer to him in a vain attempt to comfort him, and the blank look that screamed 'MURDERER!' at him.

And he could not deny the accusation.

He knew he was selfish. Knew it was selfish to want such a thing, but he had wanted to disappear once. But not now. Not when he and Roxis were the only ones that remembered their friends as they were. Remembered the power of the Mana, of Alchemists and Alchemy, of times long gone. That…and he could not bring himself to kill the other. He knew it was selfish, knew that Roxis was becoming less like himself, but there were times when he would remind him of his old self, and Vayne could not bring himself to ask Roxis again if he wanted to die. Because killing his body would kill his spirit, then he really would become a murderer. Though most of the time he wondered if there was any difference anymore.

Roxis felt frozen. Not cold, but locked out, crystallized if you would. Time and Death, both could not get near him, no matter what he did. It had hurt. Hurt to know he was not going to die by any means. He hadn't known he had more to lose until then, hadn't known he was still hoping for some way to die. He could have asked Vayne. But…but to do such a thing to him was wrong. To ask another to kill him was just not fair to the other. That and he still clung to his ideas of honor, and suicide was what that wish amounted to. He was sure Vaine would intervene if he tried. Not that it cared for him, but it did not want to disappear, so Vayne needed a reason to stay, and Roxis had been that unlucky reason.

Only that knowledge, and the idea of the dishonor of the nature of wishing for his death, continued to keep him silent.

Roxis felt cold. He looked up to the sky and saw snowflakes, and then looked around to see the yard covered in white. He shivered, not being dressed for the cold. But he didn't go back inside.

Let his body become as frozen as his soul.

(A/N: I blame an overactive imagination, looking at too much symbolism artwork, and way too much Edgar Allan Poe. Oh and as for the view on immortality? I read this one book where an entire family was immortal, and really could not die – be it hanging or firing squad.(EDIT: I was told it was 'Tuck Everlasting' Thank you!) Oh, and tell me if you want a continuation, and if I should go further AU or crossover. For a list of the things I know go to my profile.)


End file.
